Souvenir

Souvenirs represent a fraught space that engages the sacred, the capitalistic, and the aesthetic. They merge the ephemeral practice of pilgrimage with the material world. Souvenirs offer portals to specific times and places and illustrate the stories we tell about who we are and what we value. When souvenirs are scaled-down versions of monumental structures, like a miniature Eiffel Tower, they allow us to carry and comprehend an overwhelmingly large experience. Our natural tendency to associate memories with objects has resulted in practices such as pilgrims collecting fragments from holy sites, and the mass production of mementos.

The history of museums can be traced back to cabinets of curiosities, which displayed artifacts from the natural world and items collected during the Grand Tour. Contemporary artists offer a critical perspective on the history of collecting and consumption.

This exhibition explores the intertwined histories of travel and collecting in visual art through transhistorical dialogues. Souvenir features a selection of works from the museum's collection alongside strategic loans that enhance this conversation. The exhibition is co-curated by Prof. Audrey Hope, MFA, Assistant Professor of Art at Rollins College, and Dr. Gisela Carbonell, Interim Director and Curator at the Rollins Museum of Art.

Image Top: Carrie Mae Weems (American, b. 1963) Louvre, 2006, Digital c-print, 73 x 61 in., The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, Rollins Museum of Art. Gift of Barbara '68 and Theodore '68 Alfond, 2014.1.24. © Carrie Mae Weems. Image courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.

Image Right: Saúl Hernández-Vargas (Mexican, 1982) The Flayed Ones #2, 2024, Bronze, skin, silver, Variable dimensions, Image courtesy of the artist